11/27/13 @ 3:35 pm EST

Source: Comics Beat

Coming in January this year, Legenderry: A Steampunk Adventure will see writer Bill Willingham and artist Sergio Fernandez Davila take on a host of Dynamite’s most recognizable characters for a seven-issue re-imagining. Not only will the story have characters as diverse as Green Hornet, Vampirella, The Six Million Dollar Man and Red Sonja all in the same story – the story will be set inside a giant world created by the creative team, based around the steampunk genre.

To find out more about the series, I spoke to Willingham about how the project came about, how he built up this new world for the series, and his plans for the characters going forward.

The Beat: Legenderry: A Steampunk Adventure takes characters from a whole range of genres and contexts and places them within one steampunk world. How did you first come onboard a project like this?

Bill: It’s been a long time since I’ve been in a place where I had enough room in my schedule to work on something new. That time is still not quite upon us, but Nick and I have been itching to work on a book together for Dynamite for years now. I wasn’t able to bring something brand-new and creator owned to the table since there’s a lot of work to put into building a new series from the ground up.

Initially, I wanted to work on a series that borrowed characters that no one else was using at the time to avoid having to deal with continuity and where they all are in their current books. All of the characters that appear in Legenderry are characters that are currently being used, so Nick got a little creative and that’s where the steampulp idea came from – a place where I could create new versions of these characters in my own way that was separate from everything else going on.

The Beat: How do you view the concept of steampunk, personally? Have you written within the style before?

Bill: I have not written within the genre before, but not really for any other reason than I dislike the term “steampunk”. The “steampunk” genre embodies brilliant aspects from the works of HG Wells and Jules Verne who wrote of adventurers, discovery and action. They were not punks. Punks instead fit into the subgenre of cyberpunks because cocky punks are exactly who they were and one of the reasons that I never warmed up to the genre as a whole.

I call the genre steampulp since it more accurately describes the vibe that I’m going for, but I expect that the time to change the name of the genre has long past and my redubbing of it won’t catch on.

The Beat: How much input did you have in the individual design of the characters, and of the general aesthetic of the miniseries itself?

Bill: As much as I wanted. At least that’s the impression I got, but I haven’t yet really had to test the limits, since the character designs and art were so well done from the starting gate that I asked for very few changes. I requested things like, “I’d like to see her hair a bit longer, or his coat a bit longer, or I see Zorro’s sword as being a skosh thinner.” Nothing major.

Also, so far, I’ve never had to ask for a correction of any of the artwork Sergio has done for the actual story. He seems to start at wonderful and adds quality from there.

The Beat: When you take on a story like this, how carefully do you plan out the World which the characters inhabit? How important is it to you that you get the details of the city, and the society, and make sure everything fits together?

Bill: The world building part of any story, especially for a tale set in an entirely invented world, is perhaps the most important part of said story, at least in the planning and pre-planning stages. It’s also the most rewarding part for me. It’s like putting together an intricate 5000 piece jigsaw puzzle, with no picture on the box to guide you. It’s a combination of decision making and then extrapolating all of the possible results of those decisions. I love it. Getting all of the details right is vital. If I can’t make the world, and every important part of it, interesting and detailed and engaging to me, I can’t ask a reader to believe in it.

The Beat: Are there any details in particular which you’re excited to see realized in the story? Bill: A few. First the look of The Big City (that’s actually its name), where the story starts out. Having the art in for the first two issues, I already see that Sergio has delivered more than my notes and imagination asked for. I got just a glimpse of the skyship Victory at the end of Issue Two and that again delivered wonderfully on my expectations. We’ve yet to get to Landing, the Miracle Science City, which comes along in issue four (or is it five?), which is the steampunk era view of what the future must look like.

The Beat: Was it tricky to fit certain characters into the same universe? I can’t imagine fitting The Six Million Dollar Man into a Victorian setting would be easy, for example.

Bill: I thought fitting the Six Million Dollar Man into this world would indeed be the greatest challenge of the bunch. He turned out to be the most fun to adapt and is currently my favorite character in this world of the best possible characters.

The Beat: Will you be getting inside the head of any of the characters like Vampirella, Red Sonja, Green Hornet, etc. – or will the story be viewing them from a distance?

Bill: Yes. Deeply so in at least one instance. But I’ll divulge no details. Sorry.

The Beat: The story seems to be a large-scale mystery, with pieces being put together each issue. What kicks off the narrative of Legenderry?

Bill: It is a mystery, yes, which is to say, it’s a mystery who the villains are and what they want with the MacGuffin character, the woman who leads us from one of our heroes to the next. But it’s also a chase against time, where the adventure leads us on a tour of the entire world of Legenderry.

The Beat: We’ll be following a young woman as she interacts with various characters in turn throughout the series – do you view her as the guide for the reader? The classic stories associated with steampunk are usually works by people like H.G. Wells, which are all about a guide/adventurer heading off and introducing the reader to all kinds of new ideas and sights.

Bill: I so want to answer this question in detail, but I’ve already said too much about her. She’s not the guide. She’s the treasure everyone seems to be after. But why?

The Beat: Although this is a complete seven-issue storyline, do you think you could ever be tempted back for another story set in this world, at some point in the future?

Bill: Yes. Why create a whole world just for seven issues of anything? I always want to explore further.

http://comicsbeat.com/interview-bill-willingham-creates-a-legenderry-world/

01/28/15 @ 9:22 am EST

Source: DiamondGalleries.com | Categories: The Twilight Zone Shadow and Substance

Dynamite; $3.99 According to Thomas Wolfe, “You can’t go home again.” But Mr. Wolfe didn’t mention anything about going home to your past. In the first issue of Twilight Zone a successful writer flies back to his hometown for a book signing. What he finds is more than he anticipated when he finds himself face to face with his younger self. Upon encountering his younger self, he must decide if he should help the troubled, abused boy or leave him to suffer knowing what the future holds after that suffering is endured. The story written by Mark Rahner is very interesting both for its philosophical and ethical quandary. The question posed to this man is one anybody would struggle to answer. On top of that is the eerie, unsettling feeling leading up to these moments. The weight of the title is enough to warn readers that this plane ride will not be the usual trip. Edu Menna’s art aides the story by drawing characters with haggard visages, setting the tone for a story both complicated and thought provoking. This first issue comes with covers by Guiu Vilanova, Francesco Francavilla, Jay Shaw, and Jonathan Lau.

01/20/15 @ 1:51 pm EST

Source: Comics Beat | Categories: Reanimator

Lots of Dynamite/Dynamic Forces news: Art sales, Reanimator returns, Looking for Group and Jungle Girl by Frank Cho 01/19/2015 by Heidi MacDonald Leave a Comment <!-- Simple Share Buttons Plus (v0.5.3) simplesharebuttons.com/plus --> Dynamite and Dynamic Forces have been making a lot of announcements, and there isn’t even a con coming. Here’s the round-up: • Dynamic Forces CEO Nick Barrucci is selling art from his personal collection by Tom Raney, Mark Bagley, Scott Hanna, and Patrick Zircher from books like The Outsiders, The Punisher, Uncanny X-Men, Ultimate Spider-Man, The Order, Robin, and more. A portion of the proceeds will go to benefit the CBLDF. Barrucci owns hundreds of pages of art, and fans can order by artist: orders will be filled randomly for $75 a page. Here are the links to the pages:
Part One Part Two Part Three “Art collecting has been a passion of mine for years,” Barrucci explained. “For the past 30 years, I have been picking up pieces from my favorite artists whenever I can. I look at my collection on a regular basis, as I love to appreciate the form, ...

01/20/15 @ 11:04 am EST

Source: comicvine.com | Categories: Jungle Girl

Dynamite Entertainment is proud to announce that industry sensation Frank Cho will return to Jungle Girl, the comic book series that showcases Jana, a primal heroine in a prehistoric Lost World. Co-written by Doug Murray (The 'Nam) and illustrated by Jack Jadson (The Savage Hawkman), Jungle Girl: Season Three will debut with a new #1 issue in April 2015, featuring an explosive cover by Frank Cho.Jungle Girl: Season Three picks up where the previous series left off, following Jana's escape from an underwater city and a gigantic, otherworldly creature. However, her father soon reveals that those actions have doomed the Lost World in which they all live, as a wormhole appears in the sky and flaming debris begins to fall through. As the jungle burns, Jana and her friends must contend with stampeding behemoths and displaced, murderous natives. Furthermore, the rift presents a new, fearsome threat, for the fire from an alien dimension was not the only thing to come through."I'm delighted to be back with my co-creator, Doug Murray, and finish out the final story arc of Jungle Girl," says Frank Cho, one of today's most recognizable names in comic book illustration. Cho began his career with a cartoon strip called University2, published in the Diamondback student newspaper at the University of Maryland, College Park. The series evolved into the nationally syndicated comic strip Liberty Meadows, later published and expanded in monthly comic books. Cho became the go-to artist for high-profile comic book projects, including Mighty Avengers, X-Men: Schism, Savage Wolverine, and many more. Over the years, he has garnered numerous awards including an Emmy Award for the Frank Cho's World documentary, the National Cartoonists Society's Awards for Best Comic Book and Book Illustration, the Eagle Award, the Charles M. ...

01/20/15 @ 10:42 am EST

Source: Bleeding Cool | Categories: Legenderry Green Hornet Legenderry Red Sonja Legenderry Vampirella

We have an exclusive first look at the solicitations and covers for Dynamite’s Legendery comics, Legenderry: Green Hornet #3, Legenderry: Red Sonja #3 and Legenderry: Vampirella #3. LEGENDERRY: GREEN HORNET #3 (OF 5)
Cover: Sergio Fernandez Davila Writer: Daryl Gregory Art: Brent Peeples
ON SALE DATE: April 22 Will our heroes escape from Tik-Tok’s clockwork deathtrap? (Probably. It’s only issue 3.) They should hurry, though, because waiting in the wings is the mastermind behind the gang war… The Brass Hornet! Catch an issue full of hot Hornet on Hornet action. LEGENDERRY: RED SONJA #3 (OF 5)
Cover: Sergio Fernandez Davila Writer: Marc Andreyko Art: Aneke
ON SALE DATE: April 15 Sonja always fancied herself a pirate extraordinaire… until now! As she and her newest ally sail the high seas in pursuit of a madman bent on defying death, Red comes face to face with one of the most, ahem, legendary pirates of all time! The question is: whose side is he on? The adventure exploring the outer reaches of the LEGENDERRY world continues! LEGENDERRY: VAMPIRELLA #3 (OF 5)
Cover: Sergio Fernandez Davila Writer: David Avallone Art: David Cabrera
ON SALE DATE: April 8 Alliterative action, as Vampirella faces and fights corruption with Kurtz, romance with Rassendyll and violence with Van Helsing. Hentzau’s plot is in motion, Vampirella’s secrets are revealed and the moral of the story is never let Dr. Moreau give you a haircut.

08/13/14 @ 4:10 pm EST

Source: Bleeding Cool | Categories: Legends of Red Sonja